Difficult Choices
by nerfherder01
Summary: When 'dreams' of another lifetime invades Uchiha Izumi's world, confusion and personality crisis is the least of her worries. As warnings from that other life starts coming true, it's a race against time to save her life and loved ones if not her sanity. SI/OC
1. Chapter 1

Uchiha Izumi was emotionally distressed when the world shifted on its axis. It felt like waking up from a dream. When the two realities are still in existence but the mind cannot decide which one is reality and which one dream. The argument from the moment before felt like trivial and dreams of a lifetime clamored for attention. The perceptive kid sitting beside her noticed, how her kind and expressive face which was animated in pain and despair moments before suddenly clamed up and focused.  
"As I was saying, following your father is no reason to be a shinobi", Itachi soldiered on.

"Oh Itachi, don't make your girlfriend cry", Shinko teased.

Izumi tried to control the bewildered look on her face and take stalk of her surroundings. 'Am I still dreaming?' she thought but chose to make a leading question instead, "Why do you think so?" Like her ninja training recommended, she was on full information gathering mode to quickly reorient herself to the new environment. Wait, Ninja training! What was she smoking? But she was a ninja, as was her parents, as was the boy next to her- Uchiha Itachi, the love of her life or was supposed to be. She remembered fawning over him and holding him to a higher pedestal. But Uchiha Itachi was the killer of the Uchiha clan and also the killer of one Uchiha Izumi, her! The thought was alarming.

Itachi was surprised. He expected an accusatory tone, but Izumi seemed to be genuinely curious. Her brows were furrowed in deep thought. As alien as that was in her face, the pensive look suited her. He decided to test the water by revealing some of his thoughts. "If you become a shinobi just because you admire your father, you will not be prepared for the difficult choices and painful experiences you will face. A girl like you shouldn't have to go through an experience like that". One less shinobi meant one less conflict, Itachi thought.

Izumi blinked. "Difficult choices, huh?" like killing your family? She wanted to say, "Why did you become shinobi then?"

"To bring about peace. The strongest will end the wars.

"By winning them you mean. But violence begets violence. Do you think the victims of violence won't seek revenge? Violence can never end wars especially when the Ninja villages thrive on war. Or did you mean only peace for ninja kids?"

That was beyond her years, Itachi thought, surprised. But then Itachi was also different.

Shinko cleared her throat. "Guys, I don't think you mean to criticize the village." That startled Itachi. But with unusual poise Izumi replied, "That was hypothetical of course, just like Itachi's suggestion about why I shouldn't be a Shinobi, right Itachi-kun?"

"I will see you later", she said without waiting for his reply and Itachi thought 'I will keep an eye on that one'.

Izumi left the tea shop deep in thought. She had two contradictory set of 'realities' in her head and sanity demanded she forget one like a bad dream while prudence demanded she pay heed to the warnings. Although, weren't they just wild allegations? Or part of a 'children's story', according to the 'reality' that warn of these. Then again her life up to now would be part of this 'story'. As she made her way through the village, entered the Uchiha district, the place at once seemed familiar and farthest from her reality. Buildings and clothes are not like this, not from where she comes from. Uchiha massacre doesn't happen, said another part of her mind. 'Hush, it happens, in the story of course', said another part. Well at least I haven't heard of a coup plan here, she thinks relieved. Her thoughts are interrupted by Uchiha Hikaru, a clan elder.

"If it isn't Izumi, the youngest to gain a Sharingan. It's disappointing you are graduating so late, considering." His disapproving look however turned to puzzled curiosity as he gave her a look over. Finally he seemed to come to a decision, "Well you can still be useful I guess. Why don't you attend the clan meeting tomorrow after your exam?" That sent a foreboding down her spine.

"Yes, Hikaru-sama." Izumi demurred.

"That night Izumi asked her mother, "Is the Uchiha planning a coup?"

Her mother was startled. Then she seemed to consider. "Have the elders approached you?"

"Hikaru-sama asked me to join the clan meeting. But there is a coup right?"

"I don't know how you reached this conclusion, Izumi, but yes, the clan is not happy about our persecution. We are barred from the elite ranks, sensitive missions and village administration because they have already unofficially branded us traitors. They blame us for the Kyuubi attack even though your father died to protect the village." This was personal.

"How do you mean to succeed? Konoha is mighty even without the Uchiha, this will lead to wholesale slaughter of us all." Izumi was thinking quickly.

"Don't you think we know that? But it is unacceptable for the Uchiha to be treated as such in a village we built on our blood and sweat. Besides, we will be slaughtered whether we take up weapon or not if this situation of suspicion persists. Do you really think the village will risk our doujutsu falling into the hands of their enemy? If it comes to that they will slaughter us to the last babe than let us separate from this village. So, you see we have no other choice. We have been herded into a pen like sheep for slaughter. At least with this coup we will have the element of surprise. Besides, we also have Shishui and Itachi."

It's not much of a surprise if the opponent knows about it, she thought. Wasn't it Itachi who gave out the information to the village? She struggled to come clean- to this woman, who was her mother, who has single-handedly raised her after her father's death. Surely she will understand. But when even she herself was not convinced about these foreboding thoughts, others will surely not believe. The Uchiha madness was rather infamous, no one wanted a reputation for that. "Is it wise to hinge the clan's life and death on only two people?" she hedged.

"They are the prodigies who comes once in a lifetime. They are our best chance." It felt like a prayer. They are kids with questionable loyalty to the clan, she wanted to say, but chose to let it go for now. Her mother was not the one to effect change in this clan. She was however an honest source of information whom she could ask without fear of reprisal.

Now that the coup was real, there was imminent danger in her future, whether Itachi was the perpetrator or not. Besides, she has to at least entertain the idea that the coup might be sabotaged from within. She was an old soul trapped in a child's body, trapped by inescapable circumstances. But she was also a ninja. She was not helpless. She just needed a plan.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Kishimoto

Chapter 2

The next morning Izumi found herself on the way to the academy before she realized where she was going. Today was her graduation exam. No today was the day of the clan meeting. But that was after she cleared the exam. She had a feeling she won't be welcome otherwise. This was a very familiar feeling. The excitement and anticipation before an exam. She had a feeling she was used to such situations in her 'other life'. But what was unfamiliar was the dreadful realization of being unprepared. One side of her was rationalizing that this ninja business was all a dream and how fitting it was that even in dream land, going unprepared to an exam would be her biggest fear, considering a madman was going to kill her according to the dream plot. The other side, apparently unfamiliar with self-reproach, was mopping her little head over how 'dear Itachi' couldn't be what the 'other' thought he was! In all the confusion and nerves, she couldn't for her life remember what the exam topics were, which made her more nervous. 'Calm down, Izumi. You will remember everything once you clear your mind', she thought. It's just that the topics were lower in priority considering everything that happened recently. Surely, it will all come to her when she was asked to perform, right? On the other hand, if she failed because of this, all her plans will be delayed starting with 'storming' the coup-meeting today. The Uchiha elders will not include failures in their coup plan.

And oh how would she face Itachi if she failed? Considering she just fought with him yesterday about her conviction.

'Oh not again', her other side thought dripping with sarcasm, 'Indeed, how will you face him when he comes for your life, if you are not prepared?'

Too bad, the prim Uchiha lady did not appreciate the sarcasm and with a mental shrug to the 'other' took off to a nearby roof for a much needed short-cut to the academy and… fell down. "Oh, ow aw, that hurt! Shit not now."

Her palms were burnt off and by the pain she could feel, so were her feet. Those were the tenketsu points. She had tried to accumulate chakra there. That was weird since this only happens when your chakra pathways handle more chakra than they were meant for like blocking or absorbing a powerful jutsu which was clearly not the case here.

'Oh why all the disasters keep happening to me lately? Especially on the most important day of my ninja career!' 'Must be the meeting with Itachi', she had a strong suspicion the 'other' was having fun at her expense as usual. But the quip was closer to home. Indeed it all started there, as if an alien had invaded her thought. 'You are thinking too much. Besides this little exam is not the most important day, but the day Itachi comes for you will be, so make sure you are prepared for that and these small exams will be cleared before you know it.' As much unlikely as that scenario was, surprisingly it calmed her. She had to prepare for a possible coup, passing the exam was a very small step in that regards. So first things first, she had problem with chakra control, well no better time than now to find out why. She tried to concentrate chakra in her hands, this time carefully and slowly. She could feel the usual strain on muscles as physical energy was sapped, but instinctively flinched away from accessing spiritual energy, once bitten twice shy. It was like a dam on a torrential river. With more control than she ever exerted in her life, she got the right mix for her purpose and jumped on the nearby roof and started for the academy. She seemed to have gotten the hang of it. She will have to check up with the medics, but for now this will have to do.

Her monologue was broken by the enthusiastic and nervous giggles of her friends. She was finally at the academy.

"So today is finally the day. You are graduating ahead of us, so make it count and impress Itachi, hun?" said one Uchiha Ami.

"But don't get cocky na, we will catch up soon enough before you could snatch him", said one Uchiha Tora.

'Looks like we have met the other members of the Itachi Fan club!' But another part of her was happy to be on familiar grounds after a harrowing day. Yes she belonged here. Oh to be able to act her age again, with the worst worries being boys and exams! With equal zeal and animation, she said, "Oh, he is such a pretty boy, isn't he? Especially with those eyes and politely distant behavior. He has this whole unattainable beauty thing going on, so much you wouldn't even realize what's hidden in that pretty little head of his!"

"Why do I feel like you are in on a private joke that we are missing?" Hmm, the quite ones are sharp, aren't they? That was Hyuuga Sayoko. Why she befriended an Uchiha with the rivalry between their clans was still a mystery.

"Yes, you are behaving out of character, Izumi." Ami was blunt as usual.

"Am I?" Izumi was instantly defensive.

"Yes, normally you would be blushing and denying when we would tease you about your oh so obvious crush. What more, didn't you accused us of being shameless when we were speculating about his…ehm…assets?" That brought a smile on her face. That seemed like another life.

"Did I? I seem to have a pole up my ass."

"Oh was that a curse word? Who are you and what did you do with Izumi?" Tora was dramatic as usual.

"Well nothing like the end of the world to realize what is important and what is trivial, I guess?"

"What?"

"Never mind"

Yes this was the world she would preserve, these were the people she would save. There was no question about running away alone as she once thought in panic. She was not capable of keeping ahead of hunter-nins anyway, and there will be those and not the type to bring her back, but to hunt her and harvest her for her doujutsu as her mom said.

The written part of the exam was very easy. The ninjutsu exam was pretty lame. Of all the jutsus they could ask of, they asked for the clone jutsu. Her hands went through the familiar motions without even thinking and… she couldn't have bungled the easiest jutsu right? But the instructor's face suggested otherwise. The clone standing beside her was clearly not her. It was taller, older with foreign features. But that was not all. The whole of the room was crammed with clones like that. She wasn't aiming for multiple clones! Heck, was it possible to create that many clones? Unless they were Naruto of course, she 'remembered'. Ah, the jinchuriki? But these were not shadow clones. There will be time to investigate that later though. Time for passing the exam. She concentrated and made a clone that resembled her this time.

Next was the taijutsu exam. Just her luck, she was paired with Hyuuga Takeshi. He was the topper of the senior class she was taking the exam with and an expert in the Gentle fist technique besides. She was not sure she could keep up with him without the sharingan. The problem was that she could not keep the sharingan activated for longer than a few minutes without fainting. Could she end this within the first few minutes? She knew the answer even as she activated her sharingan: unlikely. The world slowed and she could predict his every move which was of no use since her body couldn't keep up with his speed and she barely escaped a few crucial attacks at her tenkensu points which would have rendered her immobile. If this was the level of her taijutsu, she wouldn't last in any close-range combat and she was planning to outlive a coup, was she? Her brain was already planning out rigorous training sessions and multiple strategies to avoid direct confrontation in a battle situation, all the while engaging Takeshi. That was what she liked about sharingan. It increased the brain's processing speed allowing multitasking. Alas! Hers was limited to a few minutes, so it was no help with homework. On that account, wasn't it more than a couple of minutes?

"Something is not right" Hyuuga Takeshi, his byakugan activated, sounded like he was making an observation about the weather and not a crucial setback in this important match of his career.

"I didn't faint like the stats about me said, right?" she couldn't hide the glee in her voice.

"That too, but mostly your chakra. It's different than before." She had a hunch about that.

"What do you mean?" A Hyuuga who shared information without asking, would be the least suspicious way of finding out about this. A medic will raise a red flag, especially with all the surveillance on the Uchiha.

"It's like the chakra of two different persons". 'Like a jinchuriki?' her mind supplied. Calm down, she didn't have a talking monster in her head… may be… err… talking to herself didn't count, right?

"Before you used sharingan, the chakra you used in your hands and feet was what a normal eleven year old of the Uchiha clan will have" Even though it was a taijutsu exam, only ninjutsu was truly prohibited.

"After you activated your sharingan, the chakra signature, though similar to earlier, clearly changed and it's huge. You should have overwhelmed me long ago. Why didn't you?"

Her muscles were sore. It was becoming difficult to dodge him.

"I see, that's why", he said, "its excess spiritual energy. Your physical energy can't keep up with it."

With that the flurries increased and it was impossible to block them all, so she didn't. With all her might, she concentrated on the only thing she could think of, a genjutsu, which was pretty lame since Takeshi will notice the change in his chakra instantly with his byakugan and release it. But to her surprise his attack stopped inches from her chest, he spasmed and then he collapsed.

After the anticlimactic end of the exam, she didn't stick around for the results. She had an important meeting to crash. The sun was long set by the time she had been to the Uchiha main house, the police station and the houses of all the elders with no sign of the congregation anywhere. Of course, she should be checking out the Naka shrine, her 'mind' suggested. But there was no place big enough for the meeting there, another part complained even as she headed that way. The shrine was quiet as usual with the occasional incense burning. There should be a secret door somewhere, under the tatami mats? There was no sign of any such doors. Of course, the sharingan. She activated it and made a cursory check. Ah that must be the door. She pulled out the tile and went through the tunnel underneath. The meeting was already underway and everyone looked around upon her entrance. Itachi was the only kid in attendance and he had his brows furrowed as he took in her appearance there.

"What is she doing here?" asked one shriveled old elder whose name escaped her and not because he had a habit of putting other people 'in their place'.

"Ah our newest addition", said Uchiha Hikaru and got up to guide her inside, "Since she managed to find the place without anyone's help unlike some, I say she deserves to be here, na Seijuro?" He seemed to be having a private joke at Seijuro's expense who was frothing in the mouth at this public rebuff.

She was guided by a firm hand beside Itachi who was sitting in a seiza beside his father. The meeting resumed in a leisurely pace with grouchy old men complaining and feeling good about themselves, while the youth agreed out of 'respect'. Really, it was more like a 'complaint against the village meeting' than actual 'coup plan meeting'. Were they serious about the coup? Did they even have a plan? No wonder they were caught so unaware, 'will be' she corrected if the forewarning was to be believed. Now what? She knew as the youngest member she was supposed to stay silent, even Itachi was silent. But to hell with custom when her life and loved ones might be in danger. Taking advantage of the fact that the clan head Fugaku was sitting near, she lowered her voice and addressed him directly, "Sir, if you don't mind my being curious, is coup the only option? Can't we take our grievances directly to the council meetings and negotiate our position? Clearly as it is, the coup plan will fail and lead to our wholesale slaughter".

Fugaku looked startled, by her boldness? So was Itachi. He looked afraid for her? Only then she realized, everyone had stopped talking. They had a grim look on their faces. Some were giving openly hostile look. Yes they were very serious about their coup plan. Belatedly she realized the precarious position she was in. She, the latest member in their treasonous group was opposed to said treasonous plan. At least they were aware of sabotage from inside. On the other hand this might have prevented Itachi from coming clean with his thoughts. Oh this was so not the time for being philosophical. "What I mean is, giving the village the appearance that we are negotiating might buy us some time, since they already suspect us if the surveillances are any indication. Meanwhile we can plan better, like the logistics of the coup?" She tried to salvage the situation. They were not buying it, were they?

To her surprise, Uchiha Fugaku defended her case, "I agree. The young lady seem to have good grasp of politics. Why don't you help me with the next council meeting? Meet me at my office tomorrow." With that the tension was relieved and the meeting resumed, this time with more vigor and actual planning. Izumi was too relieved to pay attention.

The meeting ended late at night and Izumi was making her way to home deep in thought. The new moon made it difficult to see and made it an ideal time for clandestine meetings or sneak attacks like the five young men who were blocking her path.

"And how can I help you gentlemen?" Oh she knew exactly what this was about.

"Did you really think you would get away with the stunt you pulled there, traitor?" one of them said.

"Depends on who you are asking. Some may call you traitors, traitor to the village for what you plan to do or traitor to the clan for attacking a clan member who is trusted by the clan head." An attack here will be supremely disadvantageous. She could not take five men alone in close combat. The narrow stretch did not have much place for maneuver for ranged attacks. That left only genjutsu, but that will require close range eye contact one by one.

"Stop giving us the cheek, gaki. The clan head will do nothing about what he doesn't know about. We will dump your body in the Naka river and no one will be the wiser."

"Five guys ganging up on a gaki? Not so confident in your abilities are you?" She taunted activating her sharingan, three tomoe swirling.

One of them didn't have the sharingan and took offence and lunged forward. What an idiotic move. She neutralized him with a genjutsu and threw kunais at the other three while moving for the fourth. While the three dodged her kunais, the fourth did not move sideways as expected and give her the clearing to make a run for it. He faced her head on. She would genjutsu him, except he had a three tomoe sharingan. Bad choice for choosing him for the escape route. The other three had recovered and were converging. She needed a distraction. That is when the darkness broke out into a squeal of crows and the next thing she knew the five guys were unconscious around her. Of course Itachi would be the one to defeat five adults like it was nothing.

"Err… thank you?" Another part of her was angry that she was no match to him and hence doomed to die at his hand, "But how did you know to come to my rescue?"

"What else did you expect? These fools who do not know the measure of their container and live by jingoism and foolish pride in glories of past rather than their own, of course they would attack when you point out the futility of their plan. So I followed you" 'So, was he rebuking her or supporting her position?', was her frantic thoughts. Was he agreeing that the plan was flawed or did he think there shouldn't be a plan at all? And if there was a plan that was not as easily sabotaged, who will he side with? Of course, that he went to the trouble of rescuing her was not lost on her. Before the love-struck izumi would have rejoiced. But the world-wise Izumi had a better understanding of Itachi's sense of duty and altruism.

"I don't know what you are playing at but that speech there made sure there would be an actual coup now", was his parting words as he disappeared in the darkness.

 **A/N : Err... this is my first story, please read and review to let me know what you think.**


	3. Chapter 3

In another life, Uchiha Izumi would have been placed in another genin team owing to her mediocre performance at the graduation exam. This time however, the stunts she pulled convinced her instructors to put her in the team of one Hyuuga Takeshi and Inuzuka Hana, which may be the only contributing factor to why the boy was alive a week from now. For Izumi, this was the week when she met 'Uchiha Madara'.

"We are going on an out of village mission so soon?" Izumi needed time inside the village. Time to handle the situation with the clan, time to plan. The irony was not lost on her that only a few days ago, she was gunning for a chance to legally step out of the village gate and make a run for it.

"Shortage of staffs," The mission assigner shrugged, "What's the use of promoting kids early if we can't use them? Besides, it's only a C rank escort mission."

Which was how team seven found itself escorting one dubious looking merchant Ishidoro across the breadth of the fire country.

"The mission was to escort you to the border of Iwa, so why do you want to go to Ame now?" Tanaka sensei was bursting a vein. But the client was impervious to the danger to his health.

"Err… the contract was to retrieve my wife and son and escort us to the border of Iwa. I just found out she is in Ame. I am given to the impression that you people are highly adaptable to act on new information."

"You didn't just find out, you sniveling liar. I should blacklist you for hiding critical information. For now, I will just 'escort' you back to Konoha to 'renegotiate' your commission."

"Wait! I am running out of time. I just did not want to wait for the security clearances and background checks higher level missions required. You are at liberty to extract the whole amount once the mission is over." Ishidoro looked resolute, "Even if you abandon the mission now, I am going for my family and you might have to collect the payment from my corpse." The economy had not recovered enough even seven years after the Third Shinobi World War that ninja villages were desperate enough to risk kids for extra money. Konoha risked only the 'capable' kids. So the outcome was predictable. Tanaka Hajime will continue to Ame. But Amegakure was bad news, 'something' told Izumi, even if it was not 'supposed' to be related to her remarkably short life! Heck it shouldn't be, unless she wanted to make it shorter.

"Sensei, we shouldn't go to Ame. We do not have enough intel about it and we do not have the clearance besides", she said.

"Are you teaching me the rules now, Uchiha? Do you question my judgement? Do you think you are special because you are an Uchiha?" Izumi was startled by the sudden vitriol.

"Heard you were showing off during your exam." Now where did that come from?

"Well let me tell you, here in the field you do not show off and always remember, someone who worked their way to the top is worth more than any sharingan-hax clan brat." Ooh, someone was projecting their insecurity, Izumi thought. Tanaka Hajime, no clan affiliation. Average stats in ninjutsu and genjutsu, some specialty in taijutsu. Field promotion to jounin during Third Shinobi World War. Currently, 'retired' to handle genin teams. She remembered the profile. Why was such a guy their jounin sensei again? Oh right, staff shortage, and because she was no jinchhuriki that the third Hokage would carefully choose her mentor.

"So, know your place and follow your team leader's instruction. Understood?"

"Yes sir," she said gritting her teeth.

Damn. Just her luck to be under a supervisor who was 'that kind of a man'. Yes Uchiha baiting was a thing. She could pick a fight, like she did with other such bullies. But even apart from the risk of insubordination charges, they were near enemy territory. They should not fight among themselves at this point.

"Take heart, Izumi. You may yet get the chance to showcase your abilities. True, Amegakure is reported to be stable under Hanzo, if not a little paranoid. But you never know about unexpected complications. I say detours like this are what get genins the fastest field promotions." Takeshi informed.

"Oh shut up, Takeshi. With all your sensor abilities, you cannot read the situation can you?" Inuzuka Hana said.

"What did I do now?"

#

After restocking, team seven with their dubious client, started for Ame. Ame was as terrible as its reputation. If it was not the constant rain, then it was the mosquitoes. Why did no one invent water-proof mosquito repellant again? Well innovation do not thrive during unsettling times. Visibility was low but at least the torrent covered their tracks. Even the Inuzuka's legendary nose was rendered ineffective. On that front, Hana's mood was thunderous to say the least. She was mostly inconvenienced by the mud that got everywhere and destabilized footing.

If the landscape outside the village was dreary due to the elements, the landscape inside was a scene from an industrial dystopia. Incidentally, there were no people in sight. Incessant rain might be the reason in any other place, not here, where people are used to it.

"I can sense shinobis patrolling the alleyways, rooftops armed to the teeth". Takeshi's Byakugan was active. Amegakure definitely was not at peace.

"This much vigilance inside the village? What's going on?" Hana just voiced what was on everyone's mind.

What was going on became a little clearer in the next clearing where a number of mutilated bodies were left hanging with the words, "Death to the Traitors". Izumi felt a sudden bout of nausea that almost brought her to her knees. She was not a stranger to death. She had seen death during the Kyuubi attack when her Sharingan awoke. Neither was she alien to cruelty, ninja kids grew up with stories of casual cruelty. But sometime during the last one week, her whole outlook towards life seem to have changed. The immediate goal of dealing with the fallout of a coup might have distracted her. But she could no longer ignore this alien sense of outrage at this perfectly normal retributive justice often dealt out in the Ninja world. 'I mean, if you are a powerless civilian and you pick a fight with the ninja ruling class, what else do you expect?', Izumi thought. The 'other side' cynically reminded her how her clan was likely going to face the same 'perfectly normal retributive justice' and how they shouldn't pick a fight with the 'ruling class' of the village. That rankled and with it came the determination to never let that happen.

Hanzo deserved what was coming for him, Izumi decided. He gets deposed in a coup, right? But then again, it was supposed to happen in future like the Uchiha coup which she was trying to prevent. Does that mean Hanzo may yet survive or is it that these foretold events cannot be stopped? Ah, was she really getting into these fate business? She was not a Hyuuga. Uchihas believed in effecting change through their strength. More importantly, Konoha had no knowledge of these developments until much later. So, if foretold events were true, that could only happen if this mission never returned to report to the village. It made sense though, considering the village would look for them in Iwa and would not know to look in Ame. Well, time to start at this 'effecting change' business starting with getting out of here alive. It wouldn't be easy though, considering Tanaka Hajime.

#

Tanaka Hajime had a constipated look at the turn of things. He wouldn't speak it loud though. That would be like admitting his mistake to the Uchiha. He believed in making the best decision with available information. He just didn't have all the information at the time. He decided to prod their client instead and speed things along.

"Where was your wife again? Let's go get her and get the hell out of here."

Ishidoro did not seem surprised by the turn of things. The swine, he knew all along, thought Tanaka Hajime. He had an urgency to his steps though as he guided the ninjas through dingy alleys, caved in tunnels and dilapidated buildings, all the while avoiding the main roads.

Ishidoro's wife broke down after seeing him. "They have taken Ryotaro. Please save him."

The bodies at the clearing came to mind. If he was taken by Hanzo's people, it was probably already too late. But the woman was inconsolable. "I am not going without him" she said in between sobs.

"Calm down woman. Taken by whom? Where?"

"By the cultists. He did not report at the usual place. But it had become dangerous to do so, trust me. Hanzo's people are making example of anyone suspected of working for the cultists. You saw the bodies, right? Our boy had no other choice."

"They can't do that. We always pay our dues and do our bit for the cause. I will go talk with Angel sama".

Izumi was alarmed. If this angel was who she thought she was, then they were in real trouble. Konan would not be happy to meet Konoha ninjas considering their history with one Shimura Danzo. Now that was another character about whom Fugaku sama needed to know. But of course she didn't get a chance to meet him because of this sudden mission.

"You and your cause will rob us our son, you good for nothing man." Ishidoro's wife was saying.

"Which is why I am getting us out of here. Now pack up while I get our son."

Meanwhile Tanaka Hajime did not like the implications and was growing impatient.

"We already had enough detours. We are not going to rescue your son. Besides, Konoha need to know this as soon as possible." Could it be he was finally seeing reason?

"Wait. You do not need to rescue anyone. You will just guard me while I –"

"While you contact this rebel leader".

"While I contact her. Look, this won't take much time and you won't hhave to be involved."

So they followed Ishidoro to one of the rebel hideouts despite Izumi's misgivings. It's not like she could possibly explain all this to an already hostile Tanaka Hajime.

In a dilapidated industrial complex, a large man with a huge mustache was sermonizing the assembly.

"That the God and the angel will deliver us from Hanzo's tyranny, have no doubt about that. What we need to ensure is our devotion to the cause. The people who oppress other people and the people who silently endorse and enable that regime are equally to blame. Which is why our mission to rout the civilians who haven't converted to the lord's religion is so important. They are in cahoots with Hanzo. Down with them!"

Amidst shouts of agreement, Ishidoro and the Konoha ninjas tried to make their way through the crowd towards the preacher.

"Oh look who we have in our midst. Finally had the time to visit, Ishidoro?"

"I need to talk to Angel-sama".

"She doesn't have time for the likes of you. It's about Ryotaro, isn't it?"

"I should have known, you were involved. You sadistic cur. Where is my son?"

"Oh, you are just in time. We are about to demonstrate what happens to sympathizers of evil."

A bound teenager was dragged to the stage. "Father, I am sorry," cried the boy.

"You have nothing to fear son. I will save you." Ishidoro shouted, "If you harm my innocent son, Hideki, I will kill you."

"Ooh! I am so afraid and this 'innocent' boy here was found aiding an enemy of the cause. Are you defending a traitor, Isidoro?" Hideki, the preacher, was enjoying the show. These lowlifes needed to learn the hierarchy. A coup wasn't only about fighting the tyrant, they had ninjas to do that. No, they were looking for a 'revolution' and that was also about establishing a new order of things. For that you need to work at the grassroots level, changing perceptions and public opinion slowly and surely. Historians like him knew that many a time in history, the elites of a country woke up to the reality that their lifestyle and ideology has lost favor with the masses and their grasp in the power inevitably is lost.

If in a coup, a ninja's adversary was the regime, a revolutionary's adversary was the ideology of the enemy, in this case this particularly obscure ancient religion of Ame that demanded people's fealty to the Kage. There can be no compromise in rooting it out, no matter how Pein-sama disagreed on the methods. Besides, what he didn't know, won't harm him. He was the 'root' to his tree working silently to weed out the opposition!

"I am so sorry father for dragging you into this," the boy was saying, "I couldn't let them kill Sara. But her family wouldn't convert. You know how traditional they are, choosing death over conversion. I couldn't let her die too."

This was the time to intervene. Takeshi already confirmed that there were no Ninjas in the building. With a signal from Tanaka Hajime, his two students blocked the two entrance while Izumi stood before the client and he himself appeared by the preacher with his kunai to his jugular, "You will let us take the boy and tell your disciples to stand down while we tie you all up, or you will be dead before you can make a sound."

"Kho-Kho-Konoha ninja?" Hideki stammered, his eyes bulging, his face red. He hated ninjas. Always interrupting the proper way of things. As if brute force was the solution to everything. They had no appreciation for careful social engineering! And of all the arrogant pricks, Konaha was the worst, the first to organize the in-fighting butchers, to usher in the era of shinobi villages and the root of Amegakure's pain. He could only hope they would leave him alive so he could report to the higher-ups.

Curiously, they seemed only interested in securing Ishidoro and his son. Could it be that was their only objective? But they couldn't leave the village alive with the information of their activities. Either way they needed to die. As the ninjas moved out with Ishidoro and son in toe, he decided to report that Konoha's Danzo has sent his minions to help Hanzo. A little lie for the greater good, that is what people like him who knew history did, use it to shape the future. He was looking forward to the explosion that will follow.

#

 **A/N: Please read and review. A lot of OCs here and 're-imagination' of canon. Please let me know if you people find it odd. A lot of thanks to all the reviewers and readers for your patience, especially you** **ColineThePotatoKillah** **for your helpful review. You people make me want to write, even though the demands of a more than 40 hours work week can be daunting.**


	4. Chapter 4

While the village of Konoha slept in the wee hours of morning, the Hokage Tower was bustling with unusual activity. It was all hush hush though. Even the receptionist at the ground floor did not know what was happening. Regardless, she dutifully sent out the secret missives to the clans that paid her for such 'advance notice'. Then she sent another to Danzo-sama notifying the dispatch. That one will not have to travel much, since he was in the same building currently. Several floors above, Izumi was sitting in the hallway outside the Hokage's office waiting for Takeshi to finish his 'talk' with the Hokage and the T&I member. A while ago, she had her turn there.

"Can I leave now?" She asked the Jonin on duty. "I am wounded and tired. I would like to sleep. I also need some medical attention."

There was going to be a council meeting shortly regarding policy action on current developments and Fugaku Sama must not be caught unaware.

"You can go when a decision has been made," he said.

"You mean about the body?" she said. She was feeling distraught. But this was not the time to think about that.

"That too," he said.

"I thought there would be a public funeral."

"That's up to the Hokage," he said, "whether to let the people know or not."

 **Twelve hours earlier…**

The inexperienced Konoha genins and their equally unprepared jonin sensei was fleeing their ill advised Amegakure excursion. Their crafty client Ishidoro, the reason for their current misadventure, had an added level of urgency. Izumi knew it wasn't because of his concern for his son, the one they saved. It was because he knew about the dangerous people hidden here that their sensei Tanaka Hajime didn't.

And now those dangerous people knew that Konoha was here because they had left witnesses behind. In fact, Ishidoro, their current guide's astuteness and Hyuuga Takeshi's byakugaan was their sole defense against a potential ambush.

"Why didn't you kill the preacher?" Izumi asked Tanaka Hajime. They were taking the many tunnels dotting the industrial wasteland that was Amegakure. If not for the incessant wars and Hanzo's xenophobic policies, Amegakure would still be the manufacturer of the world.

"We were not paid to kill him" the jonin said, "And he was no threat to us. His villainy notwithstanding, he is just a civilian. That is another thing to learn Uchiha. That we must justify each and every death on a mission unless we are Anbu and being too cautious can lead to mistakes".

Was that real? Was Tanaka Hajime so obtuse?

"But his masters," Izumi persisted, "whom he will be reporting to are not so 'harmless' and they will be after us shortly."

"Even if there were shinobi involved, I would think they would have better things to do then chase us. After all, we are no threat to them. We are not here to aid Hanzo."

He was missing a crucial bit of information, Izumi realized, the bitter history between Danzo and Pain. No matter, they needed to get the hell out of there.

"Our current priority is to report to Konoha, not waste time lingering."

In that, we agree, she thought.

"It's strange though," Takeshi mused, "that Hanzo would take these ragtag cultists seriously. Think there are shinobi behind this?" You have no idea, Izumi thought.

"They say he is God", Ryotaro supplied.

"Shut up Ryotaro," Ishidoro was quick to interrupt,"he he, he is just a kid. Don't mind him."

"Oh don't concern yourself," Tanaka Hajime said, "You people are going to Konoha anyway where you can take your time telling us all you know."

Ishidoro had acquired his wife earlier who now wailled at the prospect of getting interrogated by special ops torture techniques! Tanaka Hajime rolled his eyes.

"Oh why don't you tell them all, you good for nothing husband? Then they might let us go."

"Will you shut up woman?" Then to Tanaka Hajime, "You will drag us to Konoha anyway. Fine, we will talk, but only after you have rescued all of us. If even one of us are left behind, the rest will commit suicide before telling anything." Smart man. He realised money could no longer guarantee their safety. Information however might. Though a little dramatic. The son and wife are never going to carry out the threat, Izumi thought. Though Ishidoro had the most information and was harder to predict. Tanaka Hajime too realized and did not comment.

The narrow tunnel was making them move in a single file with Ishidoro the current guide at the front followed by Izumi and Tanaka Hajime at the rear. There were shadows and cave-ins and meandering branches where anything could be lurking. Which is why she was caught off-guard when Takeshi crept in behind her.

"That was a nice deduction about the Shinobis", he whispered keeping his voice from Tanaka Hajime among others.

"Yes well, I am paranoid", Izumi didn't know if she was being sarcastic or just describing her situation these past days. Being concerned about prophetic warnings was kind of paranoid. "According to our sensei anyway."

"You test his authority, he cannot be happy about that."

"His 'authority' he can flaunt when he has earned that. It's his fault that we are in this shit to begin with. If the adults are incapable of taking the right decisions, the kids must act." Izumi thought of the situation with her clan.

"If all kids thought like that and acted independently whenever they disagreed, there will be anarchy," Takeshi said and Izumi uneasily thought of Itachi and Shisui. "There is a reason why there are hierarchies and on-field disobedience is punished."

"I am following the 'rules', but forgive me if I do not want to die for the mistakes of others," Izumi said a little too vehemently. She wasn't sure she was talking about Tanaka Hajime anymore.

"Fair enough," he said, "but there is a nobility in accepting one's position in life and strive to serve the interest of the collective rather than concentrating on individual gain." It appeared he too wasn't talking about Tanaka Hajime anymore.

"If it benefits a few, is it still collective interest? And even if you are in an inferior position, you can always influence your superiors. It's treating your 'position' as an excuse to do nothing that I don't like." Izumi hoped he will let it end here. This was getting too close for comfort. There had to be a way to change her situation and that of her clan.

"You don't understand, there are some things you cannot help. You are limited by the circumstances of your birth." Takeshi of course was talking about his 'situation'.

"There is always a way," she tried hard not to look at his headband where the seal was hidden, which she was not supposed to know about. "If there is a lock, there is a key."

"That's only your Uchiha arrogance talking." This was it. She was trying to be delicate about it, but now she will give him a piece of her mind.

She stared at his headband, then looked at him, "If all the key keepers are dead at the same time, the lock is meaningless, no?" Takeshi flinched visibly and his face turned white.

"You Uchihas are mad. How dare you?" He spat with all the indignation he could master, "This is treason."

"Hold your horses. Don't jump to conclusions." It was like calming a spooked animal. "I was just trying to prove a point. Besides, the interest of the Hyuuga isn't necessarily the interest of the village."

"Keeping the byakugaan away from Konoha's enemies…"

"And from friends too right? You can't give it to a friend either. The problem is of trust of course and dominance. If someone did that to an Uchiha, there will be a revolt."

"The last time someone gave away their sharingaan, your clan was not too pleased about that either." He was talking about Kakashi of course. At least he was arguing and not running to Tanaka Hajime, Izumi thought relieved.

"Well I plan to change that." He had a strange look in his eyes at that.

He was about to say something when the whole tunnel was shaken by a huge blast.

'Have they caught up with us?' Izumi thought frantically.

At a signal from Tanaka Hajime, they were in a formation around the clients. But it wasn't necessary. They weren't the target.

They were almost at the exit. People were running for life, not attacking.

"I don't think we are the target," Takeshi confirmed what they all suspected, "I can see chakra signature around the corner though".

"That would be the eastern gate," Ishidoro prompted, "We should hurry."

But as the party cleared the corner, the gates were already shut. What more, there were a lot more than the usual protective detail guarding the thing. What was going on?

Tanaka Hajime cornered a passerby. "What's going on?"

"No clue," he said trying to slink away, "but total lock down of the village has been ordered. No one goes out, no one comes in."

The jonin stopped him by his collar. "Who is attacking whom?"

"The cu-cultists most likely," he stuttered, "attacking Hanzo. Now let go of me" And he was gone.

The ground shook like in an earth-quake, or may be tornado.

"That was no mere cultist," Takeshi said the obvious, "An S-class shinobi, at least one. We need to get out of here fast."

"There is no way we can take out this many guards," Hana observed glancing at Tanaka Hajime. She probably had an idea about his 'limitations'. "Is there no other way Ishidoro san?"

"The natural topography of Amegakure makes it impossible to come and go any other way than the gates", Ishidoro explained, "There are the sewage tunnels I guess. But a long stretch is under water and then there is the sieve. After that there is a 100 feet dive over the mountains. So impossible you see."

"We will use the standard masks used here for the under-water stretch", explained Tanaka Hajime.

"Wait wait wait! Are you really using that way? You might be ninjas, but we are not", protested a haggard Ishidoro.

"You have the options of staying here or coming with us", was Tanaka Hajime's blunt response, then without waiting for an answer, "Takeshi you are with Ishidoro, Hana with his wife and Izumi with Ryotaro – you are to help them for the under-water trip and the climb down part," the division was made according to height and weight, "We have the climbing gear, we just need a strong enough cutter for the sieve."

"I know just the shop."

As the party made their way through the town, violence has spread to the civilian areas. Izumi flinched as the slum they just left behind exploded. "Why are they targeting civilians? They are of no value to either side. This is needless waste of life."

"Well Uchiha," Tanaka Hajime actually stopped to look at her, "this is what a coup looks like. Innocent and unrelated people will get involved and get slaughtered. The village will fall and push its people to destitution and at the mercy of other lawless shinobi. This is why one must be stopped at any cost." Izumi had a bad feeling about this. Surely he wasn't implying more, right? No, no no. She was overthinking this. Yes, he was just a mediocre ninja with little future prospect. There's no way he would be privy to/know more. And even the village had nothing on the Uchiha but speculations anyway, hopefully. Tanaka Hajime was just putting her in 'her place' as usual. '

However, replying will only highlight the importance of this subject to her. So, gritting her teeth and swallowing the many retorts at her lips, Izumi nodded, "Hai, sensei."

'Any cost huh?' Izumi thought as they made their way amidst the chaos. The ninja part of her understood the logic. If you attack the basis of an organism, the organism will fight back no matter how dirty. But the 'new' part of her was having some weird thoughts. The basis of a society, it argued, was justice. A society that brutally suppresses a part of the population for the benefit of others has already destroyed the basis of that society, justice. That the architects of such pogrom are in a position of power means everyone else of that society is already endangered. If it can happen to the Uchiha, it can happen to anyone, it suggested. 'That is actually a useful thought, even though I do not agree with your other points', Izumi countered, 'Justice is served when the Hokage punishes the traitors, after all.'

'Ah, bloody feudal mindset.'

Izumi ignored the outburst and concentrated on the merits of the idea. Indeed if they could get other clans on board, it will help their cause. Another thing to discuss with Fugaku sama, if they could get out of here.

"You can't expect the shop to be open in this mayhem, can you?" Ishidoro was defending. Apparently there was no sign of the shopkeeper. When it rains, it pours.

"Then why did you bring us for a wild goose chase through dangerous territory?" Tanaka Hajime asked in a clipped voice, "Without a cutter, that way is closed to us."

"Say, we could always blow it up with papers you know," Izumi said, "in this mayhem, no one will care about another explosion. We don't really need to be circumspect."

"And how do you plan to explode wet paper? The sieve is submerged, that need not be explained right?"

"Err, by covering it in water resistant material, I suppose. I have a disposable ramen cup somewhere. We can use that unless we want to sacrifice our outer robes." It may be a good idea to prepare some explosive tags on wax-coated papers for next time, if there was a next time.

"If we blast an exit," Takeshi said, "it will also drain out the water over the mountain. Which means all of us need not go under water, good thing since we don't have the masks."

Said water turned out to be industrial waste. Its flow bisected the huge underground cavern they were in and disappeared into a tunnel of undetermined depth.

"It's not safe," Hana said sniffing like compensating for the absence of her dogs, "Not the kind that will kill you mind, but definitely harmful for long term contact." By the amount of Sulfur wafting around, she didn't really need to.

"The sieve is a long way through that," Takeshi said, "One of us will have to brave this."

Tanaka Hajime grimaced. "I will go. You stand in formation around the client and keep an eye on the exit."

"Hai, sensei."

"I didn't think he would volunteer," Izumi said.

"Are you concerned?" Takeshi teased.

"I am concerned he would be in no condition to fight when he comes back," Izumi said.

"You still think we could be pursued?" Takeshi said activating his Byakugaan, "If there was a chakra signature within 500 meters, I will know. Our potential pursuers are busy and we are almost out. Once we make it to the mountain and its forest cover-"

He never got the chance to complete his sentence. As it was he barely dodged the attack aimed at his heart from behind. That chakra appeared out of nowhere, Takeshi thought, almost as if materialized from void.

Before Izumi could register it, a gloved hand was flying towards her. A man with an orange mask, who could disappear and reappear out of thin air. The masked man. Shit! She was dead. Then the man went straight through her and pain bloomed in her left hand. A kunai was struck there. It appeared, Hana had shot and 'missed' the man.

That kunai however, had just saved her from a trip to another dimension and to certain death, she realized as she took stock of Tobi's abilities from her 'memories'. This was not a man they could overcome.

Holding her kunais she jumped away as she felt the burn of her Sharingaan activating and turned back to find Tobi land, kick off and meet with Takeshi.

Takeshi tried in vain to target his tenketsu points. He was going to die. They must not engage him close quarters.

"Fall back," she shouted. Then threw her kunais, the ones with the chakra strings-not that she mastered channeling chakra through them- towards him. As expected, they went through him and before they could strike a surprised Takeshi, she pulled back, thus forcing Tobi to dematerialize and stop his attack, for the time being.

"What the hell are you doing?" Takeshi shouted back.

"Obviously saving your life. He cannot attack while dematerialized."

Realization dawned on his face and he backtracked reflexively. Hana also joined and from three sides they threw projectiles simultaneously. As expected, they met nothing at the center.

"Izumi, behind you," Takeshi shouted and sent projectiles her way. She dutifully ducked and rolled away. He had caught onto the plan. But this could not go on for long. Where was Tanaka Hajime when you needed him? If he was alive that is.

They could not stall for his arrival though. What were they going to do? Izumi got up ignoring the grime that clung to her. And met Tobi! For the third time! It's as if he was specifically targeting her. What did she do to deserve this? She swung her blades and jumped away.

Takeshi chose that moment to interrupt him. But he slipped into Tobi's range and he went for a lethal blow. Takeshi barely escaped. Clearly her friends were disposable/ not indispensable.

Well, if that was the case, then he was going to get exactly what he wanted.

Izumi rolled up her rain-repellant outer robe and jumped right into the sewage flow. On hindsight, she didn't think this through. As Tobi disappeared from his current position, she set the prepared paper on fire counting on Tobi to appear right behind her. In the blink of an eye, the whole surface of the sewage flow was an inferno. This was a bad gamble, she thought as she burnt and the smell of sulfur clouded her senses.

Until a vortex opened up behind and spirited her away.

xxx

With a splash she was dumped into a water body, still underground. A hand shot out and pried the still burning outer robe off of her. She took stock of her condition. Second degree burns. Hair frizzled despite being tied in a queue and covered. The rain repellent outer robe had saved her, though the uncovered forehands took the brunt. Burning Sulfur reached high temperatures within minutes. But it was not water soluble. Which was why Tanaka Hajime will be just fine under water when he returned and the surface fire will be choked shortly anyway by all that steam the high temperature generated.

"Is self-immolation your idea of fighting?" An annoyed voice said. Her companion did not fare so well. His outer robe was gone and he was trying to douse the fire that still burnt the Sulfur that clung to his inner robe. It had burnt in many places revealing scarred skin and white tissue. The left hand was charred, slowly being replaced by white goo. Right, wood burns well. Most glaringly, the face mask was broken revealing one half of a scarred face. Behind that, he had a calculating look.

"I didn't count on you being suicidal." He took her hands to inspect the damage. They would not hold a weapon or channel chakra for some time. Then he pulled them both on the shore.

"Well it was worth a shot," she said, "besides, now my friends will have the chance to escape."

"While you die here." His thumb pressed on a particularly sore spot and Izumi hissed.

"You would not save me if you wanted to kill me." She tried to pull away but he held her firm.

"So sure of yourself. Especially when you are not the Uchiha I was looking for" He had a frown on his face as he looked her over.

An insidious fear creeped into her mind, chilling her bones. She forced herself not to look away from his challenging eyes. So, he was looking for an Uchiha, just not her. That could be worked on.

"Who are you looking for?" Izumi asked. "Because I am the only chance you may have of ever finding them." She added hoping that will be enough to protect her life for now.

When he raised his brow and didn't say anything, she continued. "The Uchihas are heavily monitored at the moment. Any outside contact without the village's knowledge is impossible."

"Hmm… let's see and I am supposed to let you go in hope that you will someday introduce us dodging surveillance that you think I can't evade." Later Izumi will realize that this was the moment when her life was in most danger.

"Oh no, not so easy," she said. "I will have you fight for my clan." Was she mad? Daring to think she could make him do anything at all! Especially when he was the one who would destroy her clan, if her paranoid mind was to be believed. Even now he might be involved with Danzo.

"Ha ha ha ha! You are amusing. Yes you will do. You will do just fine." His laughter broke the tension in her limbs.

"So you will help us?" she asked.

"No, I am letting you go. In return, you will keep in touch with me and bring me the boy. If you do, I will help your clan." He had a shrewd look. He caught her hand and shook it.

"What boy?" Izumi asked.

"In time, I will let you know."

There was a whizzing sound and a shuriken shot past right by her ear and before she could move her head it was through where Tobi's head was a second ago. Tobi of course had disappeared. She finally turned back and found Tanaka Hajime fighting with a fast moving Tobi. May be she had underestimated his skills after all. At least he was keeping up with the speed if not landing anything. And then the fight was over and there was this sound of birds chirping – Chidori – the voice inside her head provided. Tanaka Hajime was going to die.

"Wait, don't kill him." It was out before she could stop it and Tobi stopped, though he kept the stranglehold.

"Izumi," Tanaka Hajime said imploring her. She could see the knowledge in his eyes. Did he know about her treachery before he attacked? And yet he had spared her and shot at Tobi.

"So, Izumi," Tobi said tasting the name, "shall I spare him?" He was smiling. "Shall I tell him about our arrangement regarding your clan?"

Tanaka Hajime didn't look surprised at the mention of the clan. Did he hear their earlier conversation? He had an imploring look on his face.

"Why are you doing this? Asking me to choose. You are going to kill him anyway. He has seen your face, knows your hideout and now knows your plans regarding the Uchiha. There is no way you are going to let him walk." How could she choose the death of a fellow Konoha Shinobi in cold blood?

"Oh, I am going to let him walk if you don't choose." And he released him. Tanaka Hajime didn't even try to fight. He made a dash for the cave exit. The first intelligent thing he did today. Tobi didn't pursue.

She could see everything crumbling around when he reached Konoha. It didn't matter if she was court marshalled for treason. But even a hint of suspicion at the clan would be disastrous at this time. The village would not believe that she was acting alone. With his Uchiha hatred, Tanaka Hajime could not be reasoned to stay silent.

"Why are you doing this?" Izumi cried out.

"It's because Izumi, sooner or later you will have to decide which side you are going to be. I am just helping you make that choice." Oh, he didn't know the choice was between her soul and her heart.

"Do it." She bit out. "Go get him."

Tobi didn't need to be told twice.

"And don't harm the others," she shouted after him. "The deal is off if you do."

After a while, she gave pursuit. She had to see the deed was done.

She found the body in one of the interconnected caves. There was a large smoking hole in his chest. The body has to be left behind here. Taking it with her will only require explanation. That is when Takeshi and the rest of the company charged in.

"Izumi, you're alive?" Hana said. The she noticed the body. "Oh God! What happened to Tanaka sensei?"

"I found him here like this." She said truthfully.

"We saw you die," Ishidoro said, "Though it was cool how you trapped the masked man. We thought it heroic, heroic sacrifice."

"That was a clone that I replaced with myself at the last moment." Denying any contact with the mask man would be the best course of action, Izumi decided.

"But I felt your chakra disappear," Takeshi said. "And the assailant's too."

Talk about Hyuugas caring about details, three sixty degree detail!

"That was because he died. And after replacing myself with the clone, I had dived under water and swam away quickly to fool the assailant. I still suffered burn injuries as you can see."

Izumi showed her injuries. "Will need some serious medical attention if I have to do ninjutsu ever again."

Takeshi's byaakugan flared and he looked concerned about her injuries.

"We need to get moving," Ryotaro said. "There is no telling who else could pursue. The sewage chute is clear, but how do we take this body?"

Apparently Hana had a scroll with enough space to store a body and that is how Tanaka Hajime's body was brought to Konoha.

 **Twelve hours later in the Hokage's office…**

"You believe that? What she just said?" The Hokage was alone after the Genins and their interrogators were gone.

A shadow detached from beyond the sliding screen and took the opposite chair.

"A man in a swirling orange mask, who 'disappears' and reappears elsewhere without any known jutsu – and a Genin was able to take him down? not likely."

"If it is that man of course," the Hokage said, "Also why appear now and before these Genins? They are of no consequence."

"Not just these Genins, just her."

"What do you mean?" the Hokage asked.

"He was targeting her. If you follow their descriptions, you will notice there were many occasions where the only thing that could explain her survival is if he let her live. She must have reached the same conclusions. Otherwise, how could she have been certain that he would follow her into her trap?"

"Ho, that makes sense," the Hokage said, "He must have taken her with him then."

"And let her go unharmed too."

"And she chose to hide it too," the Hokage said. "I think Izumi chan is a very interesting kid. Danzo, why don't you keep an eye on her?"

"Yes Hokage sama. And the Amegakure situation?"

"That can no longer be kept secret of course," Hiruzen said. "We need to pacify the clans with at least some information."

xxx

A/N: Please read and review


	5. Chapter 5

If you lived in a Ninja village, your ordeals were not finished once you escaped certain death at foreign land in a mission. Izumi understood this principle. Which is why she was not surprised when she was accosted by the police force the moment she entered the Uchiha District. She just had to deliver this information to the clan head, then her ordeals would be over. She could rest her tired limbs, get some shut eye and pick up the pieces of her soul in that order. Had she known the further trials that waited her this day, she would have revised her opinion sooner.

The eastern horizon was cherry red, and the grass was still wet and the flapping of birdwings and the cawing of crows were the only sound around as she was led to the police headquarters.

Fugaku sama was there, so were the clan elders and Itachi. May be there was hope for the clan yet if they were this alert despite the early hours. She was pushed inside the chief's office and into the chair opposite him. The bam of the door startled her till Fugaku demanded her attention by a not so subtle cough. Never before has she been the center of attention of her clan like this, her clan which was full of prodigies and she so beyond their notice. In fact, she had more confidence facing the interrogation at the Hokage's office earlier.

"Earlier the Hokage Tower was abuzz in activity," the police chief was quick to the point, "and your team was at the center of it. So start at the beginning and leave nothing behind." Right, like she could do that! Not if she didn't want to implicate herself in the murder of her on-field commander. Most importantly, the involvement of 'Madara' must remain secret for now. Though the Uchiha must be made aware of the importance of the Shinobi involvement in Ame.

It was a balancing act she was looking at, made doubly difficult by the Uchihas' sharingaan enhanced insight into facial expressions.

She began her account from the moment they decided to change course, but kept her arguments with Tanaka Hajime. No need to raise questions about why she knew there would be trouble. As she continued with her much curated version of events, the various Uchihas present made the appropriate noises and expressions, except for Itachi and Uchiha Hikaru who had a frown for the whole time. Uchiha Fugaku had an expressionless face as he made queries in between. As she described how she got the better of the masked man, even Itachi was impressed. Finally she had to tie up the loose ends with her account of finding the body of Tanaka Hajime by chance.

"So this masked man," Itachi said, "You said you ambushed him and set off the explosion. But how did you know he would follow you there?" Trust Itachi to poke at the plot holes!

"May be he was after the Sharingaan," she said. Stroking the clan's ego would be the best way to dodge this. "There was of course the Byaakugan, but obviously he didn't want that." There was a murmur of agreement.

"Exactly," said Elder Seijuro, "If these roughs were going against Hanzo, of course they would want to have the best doujutsu of the world."

"I wasn't thinking all that deep," Izumi said humbly. "All I could see was that he was coming after me relentlessly." And the best lies were the ones with the most truth.

"Although there is this one thing that I could not get out of my mind and its various implications," she added. Now was the chance to sound them out regarding 'that' topic.

"What?" the clan head asked.

"While at Ame, I heard something like 'Danzo's dogs'. Do you think Danzo Shimura has some connection to them?"

"Danzo?" Uchiha Hikaru shot up from his seat. "How do you know about him?" Hikaru sama had a better opinion of her… probably. But he was also harder to fool.

"Err… one of the people we met in Ame mentioned him?" she hedged.

"Strange, the other members of your team did not mention that," he said. Of course, the Uchiha would have intel on that. She should be glad they were competent enough to get that, right? Never mind that it complicated things for her.

"Well, it's easy to miss, I guess. We were under a lot of stress," she said.

"And you immediately connected him to Konoha?" he said. He had an urgency that she wasn't sure was good or bad for her.

"Well, he was a teammate of the third. But you cannot believe that he could be connected to this?" she countered, deciding offence was the best defense.

"Yes, he was a teammate of the third," he said cautiously, "and a teammate of Uchiha Kagami." There was a murmur of agreement among the elders at that.

"I didn't think the younger generation knew about that," Elder Seijuro interrupted. He didn't have a good opinion of her, of any kunoichi for that matter. "Besides regardless of his illustrious past, currently, Danzo is just a junior department-head with the research wing of the T&I. He is not into intelligence." So, he had a minor portfolio for the benefit of the public, hun?

"And where is this department again?" Izumi countered, "In the same building as the Anbu?" Casting suspicion on Danzo was too important to back down.

Fugaku looked at her meaningfully. "You think it's a front, for his more clandestine activities?"

"I don't think it's a coincidence that his name propped up in a place like Ame."

"We can't just go to the village based only on your words," he said.

"I don't think you should go to the village even if you had solid proof," she said.

Fugaku raised an eyebrow.

"We don't know whose interest he is peddling," she said. "Considering the situation with our clan, I think investigating him independently and knowing about his operations will give us the upper hand, whether in negotiation or otherwise."

"You have good political acumen for someone so young," Fugaku said. No, I have more information, Izumi thought. Or were they just fiction dreamt up by a paranoid mind? She needed to be careful.

"That means you will attend the council meeting with me, today," the clan head was saying.

"Hai, Fugaku sama." She said. "But what are we doing about investigating Danzo?"

Fugaku didn't seem to mind her insolence. "Ah, about that," he said, "Itachi could do that from the inside."

"He has been invited into the Anbu," he said when she looked puzzled.

Now it made sense, why Itachi didn't look surprised at the mention of Danzo. He already knew about him thanks to Shishui, along with information about Root. But the Uchiha didn't. What did that say about things around here? Shit! This Danzo investigation was doomed. Moreover, now he might know the Uchiha suspected him. In fact, Itachi going to the Anbu was the beginning of the end.

"He shouldn't go to the Anbu," Izumi said, her eyes frantic, her voice shrill.

There was a pin-drop silence.

"Is this again about your argument of why the Uchiha shouldn't go against the village?" It was that scum who ambushed her the other day, with four more adults, the coward. When did they get entry in this meeting?

"Clan head, are you taking this nobody orphan's opinions now against our legitimate grievances?" The room broke into a thrum of angry back and forth. God! These guys were so greedy at the opportunity to spy on the village, they did not even see the danger of putting their most important weapon in the village's hand.

"It's dangerous," she stuck to her guns.

"We understand your 'concern', Izumi chan," said a clear amused voice from the back. It was Shisui. So, he was here after all. "Itachi kun is very dear to you after all." What?

Someone at the back snickered. Everyone broke out into laughter and the tension was defused. Even Fugaku sama looked pleased with himself for some reason. "If Itachi cannot face these dangers, he is of no use to us," he said with evident pride.

Uchiha Hikaru was not laughing. "If you are so concerned about theses 'dangers'," he said, "how about you be in charge of Itachi's wellbeing? Eh, Fugaku, this won't be a problem right?" He had a calculating look.

"Not at all," Fugaku sama said. He looked perplexed. "Though, what do you have in mind?"

"Oh, nothing much. Just that Itachi will train with her when not with the Anbu. That should help you keep an eye on him, eh young woman? Will that assuage your concerns?"

"I doubt Izumi chan will ever stop worrying about Itachi," Shisui said, then winked. "Though the extra time with him should sweeten the deal." There was another bout of laughter at that.

So her 'secret' crush was not so secret. But, why was Shisui helping her? These young men were antagonistic to her. And Shisui was taking the edge off that. Except this was oh so embarrassing! Her cheeks burned. She wasn't complaining though.

Even though she was unable to stop Itachi from joining the Anbu, this was the chance to monitor him. Better if the clan thought she was doing this because she was enamored with Itachi and concerned about his well-being. Better if Itachi thought so. She ignored the warmth inside her at the prospect of Itachi now knowing about her 'feelings'. But Itachi didn't look happy.

"You don't like this arrangement," Izumi said. She crushed the disappointment at more than the failure of her plan.

He tried to ignore her, then thought better of it. "Well, the elder is using you to spy on me. What do you think?" he whispered back sharply.

"Why would he do that?" Izumi said, "I am not particularly trained for that."

"Because he saw a chance to put you beside me without raising hackles, and you are the only one who seem to have 'concerns' about my motive and integrity." He looked at her accusingly. Ah, he seem to be the only one who understood the true nature of her objection. Guilty mind, anyone?

She meant to reply, when the clan head decided to bring the attention back to her and the rest of the meeting involved ironing out the logistics regarding Itachi's Anbu career, upcoming council meet, Danzo etc. while she thought about Itachi's 'objections'.

She was still in a haze when the meeting ended that she forgot to ask Fugaku when she should meet him for the council meeting. So halfway to her home, she had to return. But Fugaku sama had returned home, she was told. So, she was about to leave, till she noticed the meeting room door was ajar and there were voices inside. The old geezers were still huddled there, huh?

"Seriously, is there any point to your fanning that girl's fancies about Itachi?" Seijuro was saying.

"You need not worry your little brain around what I do Seiji," Uchiha Hikaru said.

"Oh, I understand how this could be useful," Seijuro said. "That Itachi is a cold fish if I ever saw one. At least that girl gets some response from him. Who knows if everything goes well we might use her like in the case of Shishui. After all, after Shishui among the young ones, only Itachi is likely to survive awakening the Mangekyo."

"Shh…" "Not here you fool." Came the many reproaches from the other attendees.

Izumi didn't stay to listen more. They meant to kill her. She ran out of the police headquarters in a daze. Someone called after her, Shisui? She didn't pay heed, ran down the stairs, out the gate, then stopped by the wayside and vomited. All the stress and upheaval of the past day caught up to her and her limbs started shaking.

"Breath Izumi, breath," someone was saying. A hand was soothing her back. It was Shisui. "Are you alright?" he was saying.

"Yes," she croaked turning to face him.

"What happened?" he asked, "I saw you running out of the police station." His eyes were full of compassion.

Oh God! They did it to Shisui too. Did he know of their dastardly plan? Did he hate the clan because of it? Did they kill that person, the one he cared about? Or did he do that? She almost asked him, then thought better of it. There was no way she could ask him that.

"It's nothing," she said instead. "Just all the stress and weariness of the last twenty four hours catching up."

"It's all right," he said. "You did well."

Wait, 'You did well'? Did he mean facing down the elders, her efforts at their mission as stated by her or did he imply something more? His eyes were inscrutable. Great Amaterasu! Things were coming to where she couldn't trust anybody. And it was all her doing.

She smiled weakly. "I better get some shut eye," she said and excused herself.

 **xxx**

Izumi spent the rest of the morning sleeping. Though true sleep eluded her. That farce was interrupted by the unexpected arrival of Sayoko. Hyuuga Sayoko, in the Uchiha district? What was the day coming to? She didn't know if she had the strength to face anybody, least of all Hyuuga Sayoko. She saw more than any of her friends and not because of her Byaakugan.

"To what do we owe this visit, oh great Sayoko?" she said hoping Sayoko would be distracted by the fake levity. "Since you usually avoid the Uchiha?"

The living room tatami was frayed and the shoji door was patched at multiple places. Even were they in pristine condition, her home couldn't hold a candle to the sprawling Hyuuga estates. But that was not why she wanted her gone.

Sayoko was not amused. She had a combative posture and a frown on her face.

"What did you do in your last mission?" she asked and Izumi almost dropped the fake smile.

"What did you do to Cousin Takeshi?" she continued. So, it was not about Tanaka Hajime, Phew! Wait, Takeshi?

"So, Takeshi is your cousin now?" Izumi asked, genuinely baffled. "Right, the Hyuuga. Everyone is probably some cousin of yours."

"Like you Uchihas are one to talk."

"We take plenty of outsiders as spouse," she said taking her place across from Sayoko. The lavender tea mother had prepared remained untouched on the short table. But the smell was too tempting to forego her portion.

"So what happened with Takeshi?" Izumi asked sipping her tea. The sweetly bitter taste of the hot tea was soothing to her nerves.

"You tell me. He is acting all weird, looking through scrolls, ruffling feathers by asking unnecessary questions about… well about things you can't change." The curse seal, huh?

"Well it seems he grew some spine and a brain to boot. What's the problem?"

"What's the problem? How can you be so blasé about it, Izumi? " Sayoko was livid. "He could get killed, if he attracts the wrong attention. I worry about him, you know." Izumi understood the danger. How ruthless the clans could be to protect their own interest. Her own clan was a case in point after all.

"Fine, send him to me," she said. "Ask him to meet me at the library. I may have some solutions to his madness."

Takeshi was brooding by the entrance of the library when Izumi found him. He gave a nod seeing her, then strutted straight inside. Izumi followed. The inside was cooler and dimmer and she had to adjust her vision after the glare of the afternoon sun outside. The sudden silence was also in contrast to the din of the market outside.

They found a deserted corner, a table spread between two racks full of scrolls and decided that was the perfect place for today's meeting. There was something about the smell of ink and paper that a part of Izumi's mind found comforting.

"So, I hear you have been acting stupid," Izumi said taking the corner seat. "Not only that, you implicate me in your foolish crusade that my friend has to come find me to complain about."

"When am I not being stipid? When I complain about my misfortune without doing anything to rectify that, as you so eloquently put earlier, and also when I finally start doing something?" Why was he being so aggressive?

"God! Did you never hear of being discreet? You're a freacking Ninja." She was not in the mood of taking crap from him too. She had enough of that for today.

He took a deep breath. "You don't understand, Izumi," he said. "I can't be a coward when you could risk yourself and take action." So that was it.

"So you decide to be reckless too?"

"How else am I going to find information about something without letting people know I want that information?"

"Welcome to Ninja 101. If only they would teach more of that instead of flashy jutsus. Talking about jutsus, there is a reason I chose this setting, apart from 'discretion' you know. What do you know about fuuinjutsu?"

"Well, how to make the regular storing scroll and store things there I guess. What's that got to do with this?"

"Patience. And that's just one of the applications, do you know anything about the theory? That might help us understand the cursed seal." That got his attention.

"You are saying fuuinjutsu and juuinjutsu are the same? Haven't you got them confused?"

"All I am saying is that fuuinjutsu is the only one we have access to. There are other strategies we need to consider."

"Like?"

"Take a seat, will you? This needs two brains to sort out." He took the seat across.

"Now tell me about this curse seal." Izumi said.

He pulled out the headband and showed the mark. It was a swastika right at the middle of the forehead.

"The main family can control us through this," he said resentfully. "Also when we die this will seal off the Byakugaan."

"That means we can study this mark from a branch member corpse?" she said. Takeshi looked offended.

"Even if I ignore the fact that you suggested I desecrate our dead after the indignity they went through in life, the curse mark disappears after death."

Izumi smirked. "You do realize this means the curse mark sustain on the chakra of the person it is placed on, not the one who placed it."

"I know what you are going to say next," Takeshi interrupted. "And no, it doesn't disappear during chakra exhaustion."

"Hmm… it must use very little chakra, or it prioritizes chakra flow to the jutsu even during life and death situation. Have you checked the working of the seal during chakra exhaustion, with Byakugaan that is?"

"I have examined injured people, people with chakra exhaustion with Byakugaan, but not the jutsu itself." Takeshi was calming down and coming around to planning.

"Then that is the number one task," Izumi said.

"Ok," Takeshi said, "What's the other one?"

"Hmm..?"

"You said that was the number one task. What's the other idea?"

"The second one is trickier," Izumi said. "It might involve some risk to life. You need to make a main family member use the mind control and observe with Byakugaan the effect. Contact me when you have completed both the task. For today, let's find some scrolls about fuuinjutsu theories, and if we find one that involves the swastika, our task will be significantly reduced."

"If only the library was sorted according to jutsus," Takeshi said getting up and going to the racks.

"That's no use. Most clans guard their jutsus anyway," Izumi said also getting up. "However we might find some clues in the Uzumaki section."

"The Uzumakis? The clan that was destroyed in Uzushiogakure?"

"The same."

The Uzumaki section was easy to find, but the only thing about fuuinjutsu they could find was a long list of them and how to perform them for some of them. No theories what so ever. Figured. Otherwise they wouldn't be in the general section.

The restricted section on the other hand, must include information about the jinchuriki seals, seals that could hold massive amount of chakra into their host. Now wouldn't she want to know about that? Though an Uchiha expressing interest on that particular subject will raise red flags all across Konoha polity. Maybe Takeshi could be useful. He was desperate enough not to ask questions.

There was a crow at the window. It was time to excuse herself.

"That's all we get from here," Izumi said looking at the scrolls they collected. "I will look through them and let you know if I find something. Meanwhile, you try to accomplish the tasks we decided on."

"What? You are leaving? I thought we could discuss some more on this."

"Sorry about that, Takeshi. I have some clan matters to attend," she said.

 **xxx**

"You sent for me, Fugaku sama," Izumi said after the required bow. They were in the meeting room, in the clan-head's own house. The rough tatami mat was hard on her knees as she set on seiza.

"Forgive the location and time," he said sipping his evening tea. "Although I did wait for you for some time at the police station."

"I have been told," Izumi said avoiding eye contact. "I… I have been occupied. I came as soon as I got the message." Hopefully he wasn't cross with her for her tardiness.

"You are to train with Shimizu san from tomorrow. Hikaru sama insisted on it."

"Uchiha Shimizu? That mad old biddy?"

Fugaku frowned at this. "She has her reputation," he said. "Although she is the last member of an illustrious line."

"What about the council meeting."

"Ah, it has been postponed after the funeral service tomorrow which we would be attending of course. We would pay our respect to council woman Shirakawa and it would be a good time to introduce you to her. Your bravery and self-sacrifice is sure to comfort her."

"Council-woman Shirakawa?" Izumi asked bewildered.

"She is a crucial vote for us in the council," Fugaku explained. "Her son was your jonin sensei for this mission, Tanaka Hajime." Izumi blanched. Her face drained of color.

"We have to get to her good graces, do you understand that, Izumi?" She nodded mutely.

"Is there anything you want to share, Izumi?" Fugaku asked when she failed speak. He had a deliberate and probing look. Sweat broke out all over her.

Izumi forced herself to look into his eyes. "Of course not," she said.

"Ah well, I had hoped…" Fugaku sighed looking away.

"What do you mean?" Izumi asked cautiously.

"Well the autopsy report of Tanaka Hajime just came in. Apparently, the hole in his chest was not made with any weapon or elemental jutsu. It was like a chunk of his chest just disappeared or something. Looks like something the assailant you faced could do. I had hoped you could shed some light."

"Unfortunately no." She released an unsteady breath. "Though, how did you get that report? I thought the Uchihas were not trusted." She was impressed by his reach.

"We are the police force," he said. "Of course, we have cultivated some assets in that department through our long acquaintance. On another note, you do realize this means the assailant is still alive." God! He was persistent.

"He could have committed the act before coming for us," Izumi said. No need to encourage people to wonder how she was alive if he didn't die.

"But Tanaka Hajime died right before you found him, didn't he? The Hyuuga in your team found his chakra just before it snuffed out. So, it has to be afterwards."

"Fine, he could have escaped. We didn't find a body. We didn't expect to among the inferno. But why is this scrutiny?"

"What, you are supposed to spy on my son and I am not supposed to vet you? I am the clan head, even if you might report to Hikaru sama."

"Spy on Itachi? Report to Hikaru sama? What do you mean?" Izumi was genuinely baffled.

"Right, of course it's not your idea," Fugaku sighed. "You clearly adore Itachi. Forgive my intemperate behavior. Hikaru sama has some special duties for you. Which is why you are being sent to that 'old biddy'" His mouth curved into a reluctant smile.

 **xxx**

A/N: Thanks for your overwhelming support. Your reviews sustain me.

About the Hinata kidnapping incident, that is in the past of this story. So, can't be included. But the Hyuugas will be there. Please let me know of other incidents that are later than this period and hence can be used. The Naruto world is so huge.

Regarding medical jutsus, no Izumi will not learn them. Rather I have something interesting planned for her.


End file.
